Texas Historical Marker #08717
Pollok Baptist Church. Founded as Warren Chapel Baptist Church in 1891, this congregation became known as Pollok Baptist Church in 1896. The first meeting place was shared by the Methodist and Presbyterian churches. Land acquired in 1906 by the Baptists was the site of the first church building. Early baptisms were performed in the Angelina River. Services were held once or twice monthly until 1945 when the first full-time pastor was called. Fire destroyed three church buildings in 1932, 1955, and 1960; the congregation rebuilt each time and continued to serve the area. (1996) #8717
?, Pollok, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #13518
Pollok Cemetery. Since the late 1800s, this cemetery has served the residents of the town of Pollok. Before the end of the 19th century, the Pollok community was established near a railroad. Here, Richard Blair built the settlement's first sawmill, setting Pollok's vital lumber industry in motion. By 1899, Bodan Lumber Company established itself in the area. The output of lumber increased, stimulating the area's economy. Louis Lipsitz, a local sawmill owner, donated land for the original cemetery plot and over the years, its size has increased due to generous land gifts. Pollok Cemetery became the final resting place for many of the area's original settlers. The first burial was in 1899 when a Dr. Warren buried a child, Fannie DeBenon, behind the community meeting house. Veteran graves are also present, denoting military service as early as World War I. A Woodmen of the World headstone also stands, serving not only as a memorial of the deceased, but also as a symbol of the community founded upon sawmills. The Pollok Cemetery Association, founded in 1950, maintains the cemetery. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005 #13518
?, Pollok, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #14796
Gann Memorial Cemetery. This burial ground, which contains over 3,000 graves, has served area residents since the mid-1800s. In 1860, Nathan W. Gann, who came to Texas with his family in 1836, donated this property and a church building he constructed to Williams Chapel Methodist Church. The first known burial on this land was of Jacob J. Gann in 1861. In 1893, the church disbanded and this property reverted to Nathan Gann, who then deeded it to the Missionary Baptist Church, which is now known as O'Quinn Baptist Church. Many early Angelina County pioneers used this property as a burial ground. As the area's lumber and agricultural industries developed, a number of rural communities organized. The former Lufkin U.S. Air Force Radar Base (later the site of Lufkin State School) was also located nearby. Gann Memorial Cemetery became the primary burial ground for residents of the area, which became known as the Central-Pollok community. Among those interred here are at least five county officials, over 200 veterans of conflicts dating to the Civil War and numerous members of various fraternal organizations. Over the years, family members of the interred cared for the cemetery, which grew due to the generosity of local landowners. In 1978, the Gann Memorial Cemetery Association began to maintain it. The cemetery features curbing, false crypts, vertical stones and obelisks. Today, Gann Memorial Cemetery continues to serve local families and provides a reminder of the early pioneers of the Central and Pollok communities. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2007 Marker is Property of the State of Texas #14796
?, Pollok, TX, United States
Texas Historical Marker #12780
Central Consolidated School. Central Consolidated School This school traces its origin to five small schools in the Pollok-Central area: Union, Durant, Pollok, Clawson and Allentown. An effort to solve the problem of inadequate funding for each of these rural schools led to their consolidation in 1929 as the Central Consolidated Common School District. A new brick building at this site greeted approximately 200 students in grades one through eleven when it opened in September 1929. With J. W. Dunn presiding as superintendent, Central Consolidated boasted nine teachers and had eight students in its first graduating class. Over the years, Central Consolidated became the focal point of the community. Its growth led to the construction of separate buildings for primary, elementary, junior high and high school classes, three gymnasiums, a cafetorium, and technology and agricultural buildings. Additional schools, including Cordaway Springs and Simpson, merged with Central Consolidated in 1939-40. In 1955, central converted from a common school district to an independent school district. Providing a strong educational foundation and extracurricular activities for students in the northwestern part of Angelina County, Central Consolidated has played a significant role in the county's educational history. (2002) #12780
7622 US 69N, Pollok, TX, United States